MT-003
TUTORIAL
Understand SINAD, ENOB, SNR, THD, THD + N, and SFDR so
You Don't Get Lost in the Noise Floor
by Walt Kester
INTRODUCTION
Six popular specifications for quantifying ADC dynamic performance are SINAD (signal-tonoise-and-distortion ratio), ENOB (effective number of bits), SNR (signal-to-noise ratio), THD
(total harmonic distortion), THD + N (total harmonic distortion plus noise), and SFDR (spurious
free dynamic range). Although most ADC manufacturers have adopted the same definitions for
these specifications, some exceptions still exist. Because of their importance in comparing
ADCs, it is important not only to understand exactly what is being specified, but the
relationships between the specifications.
There are a number of ways to quantify the distortion and noise of an ADC. All of them are
based on an FFT analysis using a generalized test setup such as shown in Figure 1.
fs
ANALOG
INPUT
fa
N-BIT
ADC
N
BUFFER
MEMORY
M-WORDS
M
POINT
M-POINT
2
FFT
PROCESSOR SPECTRAL
OUTPUT
Figure 1: Generalized Test Setup for FFT Analysis of ADC Output
The spectral output of the FFT is a series of M/2 points in the frequency domain (M is the size of
the FFT—the number of samples stored in the buffer memory). The spacing between the points
is fs/M, and the total frequency range covered is dc to fs/2, where fs is the sampling rate. The
width of each frequency "bin" (sometimes called the resolution of the FFT) is fs/M. Figure 2
shows an FFT output for an ideal 12-bit ADC using the Analog Devices' ADIsimADC®
program. Note that the theoretical noise floor of the FFT is equal to the theoretical SNR plus the
FFT process gain, 10×log(M/2). It is important to remember that the value for noise used in the
SNR calculation is the noise that extends over the entire Nyquist bandwidth (dc to fs/2), but the
FFT acts as a narrowband spectrum analyzer with a bandwidth of fs/M that sweeps over the
spectrum. This has the effect of pushing the noise down by an amount equal to the process
gain—the same effect as narrowing the bandwidth of an analog spectrum analyzer.
Rev.A, 10/08, WK
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The FFT data shown in Figure 2 represents the average of 5 individual FFTs. Note that averaging
a number of FFTs does not affect the average noise floor, it only acts to "smooth" the random
variations in the amplitudes contained in each frequency bin.
ADC FULLSCALE
SNR = 6.02N + 1.76dB = 74dB
FFT NOISE
FLOOR = 110dB
RMS QUANTIZATION NOISE LEVEL
M
10 log 2 = 36dB
N = 12, M = 8192
DATA GENERATED USING ADIsimADC®
Figure 2: FFT Output for an Ideal 12-Bit ADC, Input = 2.111MHz,
fs = 82MSPS, Average of 5 FFTs, M = 8192,
Data Generated from ADIsimADC®
The FFT output can be used like an analog spectrum analyzer to measure the amplitude of the
various harmonics and noise components of a digitized signal. The harmonics of the input signal
can be distinguished from other distortion products by their location in the frequency spectrum.
Figure 3 shows a 7-MHz input signal sampled at 20 MSPS and the location of the first 9
harmonics. Aliased harmonics of fa fall at frequencies equal to |±Kfs ± nfa|, where n is the order
of the harmonic, and K = 0, 1, 2, 3,.... The second and third harmonics are generally the only
ones specified on a data sheet because they tend to be the largest, although some data sheets may
specify the value of the worst harmonic.
Harmonic distortion is normally specified in dBc (decibels below carrier), although in audio
applications it may be specified as a percentage. It is the ratio of the rms signal to the rms value
of the harmonic in question. Harmonic distortion is generally specified with an input signal near
full-scale (generally 0.5 to 1 dB below full-scale to prevent clipping), but it can be specified at
any level. For signals much lower than full-scale, other distortion products due to the differential
nonlinearity (DNL) of the converter—not direct harmonics—may limit performance.
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RELATIVE
AMPLITUDE
fa = 7MHz
HARMONICS AT: |±Kfs±nfa|
n = ORDER OF HARMONIC, K = 0, 1, 2, 3, . . .
fs = 20MSPS
HARMONICS
3
HARMONICS
2
6
1
2
9
8
5
3
4
5
4
7
6
7
8
9
10
FREQUENCY (MHz)
Figure 3: Location of Distortion Products: Input
Signal = 7 MHz, Sampling Rate = 20 MSPS
Total harmonic distortion (THD) is the ratio of the rms value of the fundamental signal to the
mean value of the root-sum-square of its harmonics (generally, only the first 5 harmonics are
significant). THD of an ADC is also generally specified with the input signal close to full-scale,
although it can be specified at any level.
Total harmonic distortion plus noise (THD + N) is the ratio of the rms value of the fundamental
signal to the mean value of the root-sum-square of its harmonics plus all noise components
(excluding dc). The bandwidth over which the noise is measured must be specified. In the case of
an FFT, the bandwidth is dc to fs/2. (If the bandwidth of the measurement is dc to fs/2 (the
Nyquist bandwidth), THD + N is equal to SINAD—see below). Be warned, however, that in
audio applications the measurement bandwidth may not necessarily be the Nyquist bandwidth.
Spurious free dynamic range (SFDR) is the ratio of the rms value of the signal to the rms value
of the worst spurious signal regardless of where it falls in the frequency spectrum. The worst
spur may or may not be a harmonic of the original signal. SFDR is an important specification in
communications systems because it represents the smallest value of signal that can be
distinguished from a large interfering signal (blocker). SFDR can be specified with respect to
full-scale (dBFS) or with respect to the actual signal amplitude (dBc). The definition of SFDR is
shown graphically in Figure 4.
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FULL SCALE (FS)
INPUT SIGNAL LEVEL (CARRIER)
SFDR (dBFS)
dB
SFDR (dBc)
WORST SPUR LEVEL
FREQUENCY
fs
2
Figure 4: Spurious Free Dynamic Range (SFDR)
The Analog Devices' ADIsimADC® ADC modeling program allows various high performance
ADCs to be evaluated at varioius operating frequencies, levels, and sampling rates. The models
yield an accurate representation of actual performance, and a typical FFT output for the AD9444
14-bit, 80-MSPS ADC is shown in Figure 5. Note that the input frequency is 95.111 MHz and is
aliased back to 15.111 MHz by the sampling process. The output also displays the locations of
the first five harmonics. In this case, all the harmonics are aliases. The program also calculates
and tabulates the important performance parameters as shown in the left-hand data column.
SINAD = 73.20dB
SNR = 73.42dB
THD = 86.31dB
SFDR = 89.03dBc
NOISE FLOOR = 109.67dB
M = 8192
Figure 5: AD9444 14-Bit, 80MSPS ADC fin = 95.111MHz, fs = 80MSPS, Average of 5
FFTs, M = 8192, Data Generated from ADIsimADC®
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SIGNAL-TO-NOISE-AND-DISTORTION RATIO (SINAD), SIGNAL-TO-NOISE RATIO
(SNR), AND EFFECTIVE NUMBER OF BITS (ENOB)
SINAD and SNR deserve careful attention, because there is still some variation between ADC
manufacturers as to their precise meaning. Signal-to-Noise-and-Distortion (SINAD, or S/(N + D)
is the ratio of the rms signal amplitude to the mean value of the root-sum-square (rss) of all other
spectral components, including harmonics, but excluding dc. SINAD is a good indication of the
overall dynamic performance of an ADC because it includes all components which make up
noise and distortion. SINAD is often plotted for various input amplitudes and frequencies. For a
given input frequency and amplitude, SINAD is equal to THD + N, provided the bandwidth for
the noise measurement is the same for both (the Nyquist bandwidth). A typical plot for the
AD9226 12-bit, 65-MSPS ADC is shown in Figure 6.
ANALOG INPUT FREQUENCY (MHz)
Figure 6: AD9226 12-bit, 65-MSPS ADC SINAD and ENOB
for Various Input Full-Scale Spans (Range)
The SINAD plot shows that the ac performance of the ADC degrades due to high-frequency
distortion and is usually plotted for frequencies well above the Nyquist frequency so that
performance in undersampling applications can be evaluated. SINAD plots such as these are very
useful in evaluating the dynamic performance of ADCs. SINAD is often converted to effectivenumber-of-bits (ENOB) using the relationship for the theoretical SNR of an ideal N-bit ADC:
SNR = 6.02N + 1.76 dB. The equation is solved for N, and the value of SINAD is substituted for
SNR:
ENOB =
SINAD − 1.76 dB
.
6.02
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Eq. 1
MT-003
Note that Equation 1 assumes a full-scale input signal. If the signal level is reduced, the value of
SINAD decreases, and the ENOB decreases. It is necessary to add a correction factor for
calculating ENOB at reduced signal amplitudes as shown in Equation 2:
⎛ Fullscale Amplitude ⎞
⎟
SINAD MEASURED − 1.76 db + 20 log⎜⎜
Input Amplitude ⎟⎠
⎝
.
ENOB =
6.02
Eq. 2
The correction factor essentially "normalizes" the ENOB value to full-scale regardless of the
actual signal amplitude.
Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR, or sometimes called SNR-without-harmonics) is calculated from the
FFT data the same as SINAD, except that the signal harmonics are excluded from the
calculation, leaving only the noise terms. In practice, it is only necessary to exclude the first 5
harmonics, since they dominate. The SNR plot will degrade at high input frequencies, but
generally not as rapidly as SINAD because of the exclusion of the harmonic terms.
A few ADC data sheets somewhat loosely refer to SINAD as SNR, so you must be careful when
interpreting these specifications and understand exactly what the manufacturer means.
THE MATHEMATICAL RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN SINAD, SNR, AND THD
There is a mathematical relationship between SINAD, SNR, and THD (assuming all are
measured with the same input signal amplitude and frequency. In the following equations, SNR,
THD, and SINAD are expressed in dB, and are derived from the actual numerical ratios S/N,
S/D, and S/(N+D) as shown below:
⎛S⎞
SNR = 20 log⎜ ⎟ ,
⎝N⎠
Eq. 3
⎛S⎞
THD = 20 log⎜ ⎟ ,
⎝ D⎠
Eq. 4
⎛ S ⎞
SINAD = 20 log⎜
⎟.
⎝ N + D⎠
Eq. 5
Eq. 3, Eq. 4, and Eq. 5 can be solved for the numerical ratios N/S, D/S, and (N+D)/S as follows:
N
= 10 − SNR / 20
S
Eq. 6
D
− THD / 20
= 10
S
Eq. 7
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N+D
− SINAD / 20
= 10
S
Eq. 8
Because the denominators of Eq. 6, Eq. 7, and Eq. 8 are all equal to S, the root sum square of
N/S and D/S is equal to (N+D)/S as follows:
1
1
2
2
N + D ⎡⎛ N ⎞
− SNR / 20 ⎞ 2 ⎛ − THD / 20 ⎞ 2 ⎤ 2
⎛ D⎞ ⎤
= ⎢⎜ ⎟ + ⎜ ⎟ ⎥ 2 = ⎡⎛⎜10
⎟ + ⎜10
⎟ ⎥ ,
⎢
⎠ ⎝
⎠ ⎦
S
⎣⎝
⎝ S ⎠ ⎥⎦
⎢⎣⎝ S ⎠
Eq. 9
1
N + D ⎡ −SNR / 10
− THD / 10 ⎤ 2
= 10
+ 10
.
⎢
⎥⎦
⎣
S
Therefore, S/(N+D) must equal:
Eq. 10
1
−
S
− SNR / 10
− THD / 10 ⎤ 2
,
= ⎡10
+ 10
⎥⎦
N + D ⎢⎣
Eq. 11
and hence,
− SNR / 10
− THD / 10 ⎤
⎛ S ⎞
SINAD = 20 log⎜
+ 10
.
⎟ = −10 log⎡⎢10
⎥⎦
⎣
⎝ N + D⎠
Eq. 12
Eq. 12 gives us SINAD as a function of SNR and THD.
Similarly, if we know SINAD and THD, we can solve for SNR as follows:
− SINAD / 10
− THD / 10 ⎤
⎛S⎞
SNR = 20 log⎜ ⎟ = −10 log⎡10
− 10
.
⎢⎣
⎥⎦
⎝N⎠
Eq. 13
Similarly, if we know SINAD and SNR, we can solve for THD as follows:
−SINAD / 10
−SNR / 10 ⎤
⎛S⎞
THD = 20 log⎜ ⎟ = −10 log ⎡10
− 10
.
⎢⎣
⎥⎦
⎝ D⎠
Eq. 14
Equations 12, 13, and 14 are implemented in an easy to use design tool on the Analog Devices'
website. It is important to emphasize again that these relationships hold true only if the input
frequency and amplitude are equal for all three measurements.
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SUMMARY
Because SINAD, SNR, ENOB, THD, THD + N, and SFDR are common measures of ADC
dynamic performance, a complete understanding of them in the context of the manufacturers'
data sheet is critical. This tutorial has defined the quantities and derived the mathematical
relationship between SINAD, SNR, and THD.
REFERENCES
1. Walt Kester, Analog-Digital Conversion, Analog Devices, 2004, ISBN 0-916550-27-3,
Chapter 6. Also available as The Data Conversion Handbook, Elsevier/Newnes, 2005,
ISBN 0-7506-7841-0, Chapter 2.
2. Hank Zumbahlen, Basic Linear Design, Analog Devices, 2006, ISBN: 0-915550-28-1.
Also available as Linear Circuit Design Handbook, Elsevier-Newnes, 2008, ISBN-10:
0750687037, ISBN-13: 978-0750687034. Chapter 6.
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